Raeside Dame Renovation in South Berwick

The goal of this Raeside-Dame renovation was to address the flow of the entryway space. The Raeside-Dame style home is known for period style aesthetics with modern amenities. Some of the period style charm wasn’t working for these homeowners.

When we first met with the homeowners, their chief frustration was ‘there are too many doors’ in such a small space. The small space being the 150 square feet that made up the entryway area. It was designed with a lot of compartmentalization. This compartmentalization makes each space feel distinct, but lacks natural light.

The homeowners also wanted the opportunity to change out the flooring and create a more practical bathroom layout.

Raeside-Dame Renovation for better flow

Working with the homeowners, we came up with solutions that would provide a better flow (without losing the charm).

Opening Up the Layout → The kitchen and dining area were already very open and airy. The dining room space also receives natural light from the large french doors that open to the patio. We removed some of the walls in the adjacent space that make up the entry way to create better flow for guests arriving to the home. As guests arrive, they experience the large open and airy space of the dining room and beyond with the new layout. We used Sherwin-Williams “Mortar” on the walls and “White Snow” on the trim. We removed the original brick style flooring and installed a wood floor that closely matches the rest of the home. After looking at a number of samples, the clients went with the American Cherry wood floors with a water based polyurethane finish.

Improving Storage & Functionality → In the original layout, the small guest bathroom near the entryway also housed an oversized closet that was not very practical. Similarly, the mudroom entry that was original to the house had a wide, but narrow, closet that had limited functionality. The improved floor plan included moving the bathroom to the opposite side and opening up the large space that previously had the oversized bathroom and closet so guests would experience a more inviting arrival.